Surface FE Thickness

Use this option to assign thickness to planar structure elements (panels). Access the option by:

• Clicking Geometry menu > Properties > Thickness.
• On the Structure Definition toolbar,clicking .

The Properties layout is available only for plates and shells.

After the option is selected, the FE Thickness dialog displays. Using the dialog, you can assign thickness to planar structure elements (panels). Information about the defined panel thickness types are located in the active list field.

Using the icons in the dialog, you can work in the active list:

- Adds a new thickness type (New thickness type definition).

- Deletes a selected thickness type from the list.

, , , and - Change the display of the list items (large icons, small icons, short list, and a full list).

- Deletes from the active list all panel thickness types that do not appear in the designed structure.

- Opens the Label Manager dialog.

The process of thickness definition for selected panels has been divided into 2 stages:

• Defining the active thickness type
  If the list of active thickness types is empty or if a new thickness type is to be added to the list, click .

  • Iif no thickness type is highlighted, a new type is opened.
  • If a thickness type is highlighted, the New Thickness dialog to define a new thickness type displays. All edit fields other than Label will be filled with the information for the highlighted type. (Double-clicking a type in the list has the same results.)

  After you have modified the thickness type parameters, the active list is updated by clicking Add or pressing ENTER. If you do not change the label, an appropriate warning displays (as in the case of a new thickness type definition).

• Assigning Thickness to Panels

To delete a thickness type from the structure:

1. Click on the active thickness type list,
2. Select an object in the structure you want to delete the thickness type from

You cannot modify this thickness type; it is assigned the same way as thickness is assigned to a panel.

After a thickness is assigned, its symbol is drawn in on the graphic viewer.